Lim Young-woong declared ‘Mr. Trot’ winner after delay in vote counts

Lim Young-woong was declared the victor on TV Chosun’s popular trot singer audition show, “Mr. Trot,” during a special live broadcast Saturday. Host Kim Seung-joo announced that Lim Young-woong took first place in the fan votes, which accounted for 30 percent of the total score, receiving 1,374,748 votes. This led to Lim, who was second after Lee Chan-won before the final fan voting, to overtake Lee and win. “Thank you to all the viewers who watched for such a long ti

TelevisionMarch 15, 2020

Sejong Center declares ‘brief halt’ to prevent virus spread

On Friday, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced a “brief halt” as part of the nation’s “social distancing” campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  According to Friday’s announcement, most of the programs slated to run at the center between now and late March have been canceled or postponed. The Seoul Dance Metropolitan Theatre’s 2020 opening show, “N.O.T,” has been postponed. The Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus&rsq

PerformanceMarch 13, 2020

EBS takes action to protect copyrights over Pengsoo

The Educational Broadcasting System is finally taking action to protect its copyrights over the popular character Pengsoo, after numerous infringements since the beloved penguin debuted last year. The broadcasting company announced Friday that it had signed a contract with the MIJU Law Firm, which specializes in intellectual property rights infringement issues online. “EBS and MIJU Law Firm already investigated both online and offline cases of copyright infringement of Pengsoo. We are

TelevisionMarch 13, 2020

Moviegoers fall to 15-year low in Feb. out of coronavirus fear

The number of moviegoers in South Korea fell to a 15-year low in February out of intensifying fears over the infectious coronavirus, data showed Friday. According to the data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a total of 7.37 million people went to the cinema last month, plunging 66.9 percent from 14.9 million tallied a year ago. It is the smallest February number since 2005, when monthly admissions came to 11.3 million. It is also the first time in 15 years that the February admission dropp

FilmMarch 13, 2020

After server errors, ‘Mr. Trot’ winner to be unveiled Saturday

The winner of TV Chosun’s hit talent audition show “Mr. Trot” will be announced Saturday, after the broadcaster failed to name the winner on its Thursday’s episode, citing an unprecedented number of text message votes from viewers. “Mr. Trot” was to announce the winner at the end of Thursday’s episode, aggregating the scores by the panel of judges and text message voting from viewers after the final round of competition. However, as the show neared t

TelevisionMarch 13, 2020

Busan film festival to feature fewer movies this year

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will feature about 13 percent fewer movies this year, its organizer said Friday. In a recent general meeting, the secretariat decided to invite about 260 films for its 25th edition, a sharp cut from some 300 screened in previous years. The organizer also decided to hold this year's event from Oct. 7-16 under the slogan of "New Start, Always BIFF." The downsizing came as its funding was slashed 6 percent on-year to 11.95 billion won (US$

FilmMarch 13, 2020

Churches continue with online Sunday services

Large churches in Seoul are continuing with their Sunday services online, as Korea is still in national battle against COVID-19. Like the past weeks, Sarang Church in southern Seoul, one of the several megachurches here, is going online for its Sunday services this week. On Sunday, more than 40,000 people viewed the online stream by the church.   “The decision was voluntarily made by the church community -- not by someone’s order. A church -- a religious community -- shares

PeopleMarch 13, 2020

Film festivals in S. Korea postponed amid coronavirus scare

Local film festivals in South Korea set to open this spring have been rescheduled amid heightening fears over the rapid spread of the infectious coronavirus. Organizers have postponed the opening of the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), the country's largest showcase of indie and art-house films, for one month to May 28. The 2020 JIFF was originally to kick off April 30 and run through May 9 in the southwestern city of Jeonju. Last year, the festival featured 275 films from 53

FilmMarch 13, 2020

'Parasite' tops W300b in worldwide revenues

The Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite" has topped 300 billion won ($245 million) in worldwide ticket sales, industry data showed Friday. According to the data by Box Office Mojo, a US film revenues tracker, the black comedy film earned $253.5 million in the world, including $72.6 million in South Korea and $52.8 million in the United States. Released stateside in October last year, "Parasite" is the fourth-highest grossing foreign film in the US, following "Crouchin

FilmMarch 13, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Dark Waters (US) Opened March 11 Biography, Drama, History Directed by Todd Haynes Corporate environmental attorney Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) has just made partner at his law firm in large part due to his work defending big chem companies. But he finds himself conflicted after being contacted by two West Virginia farmers who believe that the local DuPont plant is dumping toxic waste in a nearby landfill. Bilott files a complaint that marks the beginning of an epic two-decade fight -- one that

FilmMarch 13, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Zest of citrus at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s lounge cafe Gallery presents the Citrus of Spring afternoon tea set, full of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. The three-tier tray is filled with 16 types of desserts, ranging from yuzu scones, Jeju Island tangerine curd, hallabong compote, clotted cream, tangerine panna cotta, chocolate mousse with tangerine liquid, to tangerine chocolate tarte and more. Diners can select coffee or tea of their choice to pair with the d

FoodMarch 13, 2020

[Eye Plus] Sewoon Electronics Plaza as springboard for young entrepreneurs

Once a mecca for techies in South Korea in the 1970s, Sewoon Electronics Plaza, has now been transformed into a springboard for young entrepreneurs. Sewoon Sangga, located in Jongno-gu in central Seoul, was built as Korea’s first multi-use residential and commercial complex in 1968, and was home to the country’s very first electronics marketplace -- Sewoon Electronics Plaza. During its heyday, the venue attracted some of the best technicians in the country, hosting some of the

TravelMarch 13, 2020

[Weekender] Love in a time of coronavirus

Roses are red, violets are blue. The season of love is here, and the coronavirus is too. “I was supposed to get married on White Day but I delayed it to this fall due to the coronavirus,” a bride-to-be commented on Naver blog Make My Wedding, a popular online community with more than 38,997 members who are preparing for weddings. In Korea, White Day, which falls on March 14, sees men giving candy to women. On Valentine’s Day, women typically give chocolate to men. “I

CultureMarch 13, 2020

[Weekender] Handmade masks comfort marginalized people amid serious shortage

When Park Jin-ryoung, a Daegu resident, saw people waiting in line for hours to buy a face mask -- a must-have survival item in the city, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of COVID-19 cases in South Korea -- her thoughts went to people in need. So she took out her sewing machine. She visited offline and online stores to buy the materials she needed to make 120 fabric face masks: elastic braids, wire cords, filters and fabric. Park and her two daughters -- whose elementary school graduatio

CultureMarch 12, 2020

Film companies to jointly release new pictures

Korean theaters are seeing the lowest number of cinemagoers in 14 years, and film companies, finding it difficult to postpone new releases any further, are seeking alternative ways to keep the industry going. Moviegoers nationwide were less than 60,000 from Monday to Wednesday, marking the lowest figure seen in the last 14 years, according to data compiled by the Korea Film Committee. With the virus pandemic set to continue for days to come, film producers and distributors are putting their he

FilmMarch 12, 2020

Hit audition show ‘Mr. Trot’ mired in controversy

Just before Thursday’s airing of its final episode, TV Chosun’s hit audition show “Mr. Trot” became embroiled in a controversy over suspected unfair contracts. The TV show, which aired its first episode in January, is a trot singing showdown. Last year, the broadcasting station’s “Miss Trot,” featuring talented female trot singers, was a huge success, with final winner Song Ga-in rising to national stardom through the show.  Buoyed by the succ

TelevisionMarch 12, 2020

Virus-hit S. Korean movie industry faces grim prospects for summer peak season

The South Korean film industry, struggling with the wide spread of the coronavirus, sees the outlook for its summer peak season remaining bleak even if the epidemic eases. As the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus has reached nearly 7,900 since the first outbreak on Jan. 20, the South Korean government raised the virus alert to the highest level last month and asked the public to refrain from outdoor activities. The rapidly spreading coronavirus has been keeping people from local

FilmMarch 12, 2020

Local libraries provide drive-thru service as coronavirus spreads

More and more local public libraries in Korea are starting to provide drive-thru book services as a solution for the shutting down of libraries due to the spread of coronavirus. A public library in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday said it was providing a drive-thru service to check out books. The library said that it is a temporary service and will operate until March 22. Anyone who would like to check out books from this library can call (02) 2204-6440 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to

CultureMarch 12, 2020

Clubs overturn decision to open as coronavirus continues to spread

Clubs in Gangnam, a posh area south of the Han River known for its thriving nightlife, decided to remain shut this week too, after some earlier announced that they would reopen as early as Wednesday, amid the novel coronavirus spread. “We are planning to advise businesses such as coin-noraebangs, clubs and cola-theques, among others, that put people in close contact like the call center -- where the latest infection outbreak took place -- to temporarily close doors,” said Seoul May

CultureMarch 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] Oh Ji-ho, director discuss fantasy-thriller ‘The Nightmare’

Actor Oh Ji-ho said he accepted the offer to star in the fantasy-thriller “The Nightmare” because he wanted answers to the many questions that popped into his head as he read the script. “It’s difficult to put it into words, but I was grasped by a mysterious and incomprehensible feeling,” Oh said Wednesday in an email interview conducted ahead of the film’s release on Thursday. “The Nightmare” is a mystery-thriller packed with fantastical elemen

FilmMarch 11, 2020